History Midterm!!!!!!!!! Flashcards
What is a primary source?
Created during the time of study;
original documents, creative works, relics or artifacts.
What is a secondary source?
Interprets and analyzes primary sources;
publications. Usually made by experts in their field.
How did most humans survive in the Paleolithic Era?
H/G
nomads
relied on fire
created tools
communicated
Lasted 2.6 million years
Benefits of fire
Easier to digest food
Makes food nutritious
Helps to fend off predators
Source of warmth
Human Evolution
Australopithecus,
Homo habilis,
Homo Erectus,
Neanderthals,
Homo Sapiens
H/G/forager Lifestyles:
Small bands of 25-50 people
Low population density - very slow population growth (contrast to Paleolithic period)
Seasonally mobile/nomadic
Food gathering less than 30 hrs a week = a lot of leisure time (subsistence involved less work than today)
No hierarchy
Had funerals, and religion
H/G/forager Belief System:
Animism - the idea that the natural world has a spiritual connection
What was the Neolithic Revolution?
transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture
Transition to agriculture-why? -
Population pressure (growing too large)
Environmental change (Younger Dryas cold spell) (end of ice age)
Cognitive change (we became smarter and more innovative)
Over-hunting of wild animals
Desire to settle down
Building of a temple (Gobekli Tepe in Turkey), oldest known civilization
Where was the Sumer civilization located?
Sumer is south west asia (where the Euphrates and Tigris river lie)
Where was the Shang civilization located?
Shang is in western China (where the yellow river lies)
Where was the Indus civilization located?
Indus is north west of india (where the Indus river lies)
Where was the Egypt civilization located?
Egypt is in the northeastern corner of Africa (where the Nile lies)
What were the major cultural achievements and distinctions in the Shang civilization?
Shang developed silk production, books, porcelain, writing, coined money, bronze, and cast iron.
What were the major cultural achievements and distinctions in the Sumer civilization?
Sumer created the wheel, plow, and cuneiform.
What were the major cultural achievements and distinctions in the Egypt civilization?
Egypt had a good irrigation system
What were the major cultural achievements and distinctions in the Indus civilization?
Indus created planned cities, extensive trade networks, undeciphered script, lack of hierarchy
What were the major cultural achievements and distinctions in the Mesopotamia civilization?
Mesopotamia created writing and taxes
What are the major beliefs of Judaism?
Belief in one god - Yahweh
Belief that God will send a messiah (savior) to save the Jewish people.
Belief that the following are central to their society:
Education
Justice and Righteousness
Obedience and Law
What are the major beliefs of Christianity?
Mercy and sympathy for the poor and helpless
Brotherhood and equality for all people
People should seek forgiveness from God for all their sins
Following his teachings would bring salvation and eternal life.
Christianity came into play as Jesus of Nazareth had begun to travel through Judea teaching new beliefs. Yet, this is what caused him to be crucified! Romans saw the spread of Christianity as a threat to Rome.
What are the major beliefs of Daoism?
Urged withdrawal into the world of nature and encouraged behavior that was spontaneous, individualistic, and natural.
Believed education, moral improvement and good government were artificial and useless.
Simplicity in living:
small, self-sufficient communities
limited government
the abandonment of education
and active efforts at self-improvement.
What are the major beliefs of Legalism?
Emphasized the importance of clearly defined rules and strict enforcement through rewards and punishments.
Generally entertained a rather pessimistic view of human nature.
What are the major beliefs of Confucianism?
Education was essential for moral improvement.
The study of ritual and ceremonies as a way to understand/follow the rules of appropriate behavior.
Expected to constantly reflect and strive for improvement through personal effort.
What was Hammurabi’s code? What was its purpose?
Ruling over different tribal groups in an empire.
Discourage tribal or family customs.
Unify an empire of different groups and ethnicities with separate customs and traditions.
Importance of Hammurabi’s code?
Serves as the foundation of modern law codes.
Hammurabi’s code included what we call criminal and civil law.
Criminal law: rules that define conduct
Civil Law: settles disputes among people
Kinda big ideas of Hammurabi’s code
Equal punishment only existed when both parties were of equal rank.
Origin of strong centralized government- controlling all aspect of society (including morality)
Origins of patriarchy.
What was Hellenism?
Hellenistic culture is the blending of Greek culture with Egyptian, Persian and Indian culture.
Alexandria, Egypt became the seat of learning for the empire: Famous library of Alexandria
The arts flourished as did philosophy
Where was the Roman empire located?
In nearly the entire European continent as well as parts of the Middle East and Africa.
What were the major features of Rome’s social structure?
3 Social Classes
Patricians: landholding upper class
Plebeians: farmers, merchants, artisans, and traders - no vote or hold office (made up 95% of Roman citizens).
Slaves: usually prisoners of war
